Cotton to the man behind the counter.
“No.”
“Are you sure? It was parked around the corner, behind the building. Now it’s gone.”
“I didn’t tow it. But our service did. The lot is only for customers.”
She looked around the empty space. “I can see why you’re worried about filling up the lot. Sorry if I took someone’s spot.”
“Company policy.”
What a jerk. “How do I get it back?”
“Call this number. You’ll have to pick it up at the yard.” He reached under the counter and pulled out a card.
“Can’t you tell them to bring it back? Please? My parents are going to kill me.”
“Sorry, sweetheart. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.” He stared at Cotton. “Is he drunk? You gotta get him out of here.”
“No, he’s not drunk. He’s . . .” Ria turned to Cotton, trying to see him through the bartender’s eyes. Sitting on a purple stool, he had his head folded over his lap and was muttering something to himself. His hair still managed to look unruly even after the haircut. “Can we get some water?”
The man frowned but filled two glasses and slid them across the counter. He watched as she forced one into Cotton’s hand.
“Tell you what,” the man said. “I’ll give ’em a call and see if we can save you the impound fees. You’ll still have to pay for the tow, but maybe they won’t put it in the lot.”
As he moved down the bar, with the phone against his ear, she turned to Cotton. “How are we with time? How much longer until your mother starts to worry?”
“Seventy-two minutes.”
She sighed with relief. That should be enough time to figure something out.
“She doesn’t watch the time like I do.” Cotton took a gulp of water. “I worry more. I want someone to notice if I’m gone.”
“They’ll definitely notice. I’ll notice, too.”
“You know what someone said after Esther disappeared?”
“What?” She tried to adjust to this new place he was taking her.
“‘Well, at least you have all these other children.’”
Damn.
“They were wrong. People are wrong all the time.” She leaned into him, letting her weight speak for her. He leaned on her in reply.
“When someone goes missing, they always suspect the family. That’s the first guess. That someone in the family hurt her.”
“But that’s so awful. And unfair.”
“It’s based on factual data. Proven situations. Kidnappings, abuse. We are most likely to be hurt by someone we trust.”
He wasn’t meeting her eyes, but she couldn’t look away from his hard to read, expressionless face.
“All right,” the bartender said, interrupting. “As long as you get there today, you won’t have to pay the extra fees.”
She had no idea how she was going to make that happen, but one step at a time. “Can I use your phone?”
“That’s it? No thank you?”
“Seriously? You want me to thank you for towing my car? Even if you did it for free, it’s not a great deal.”
He laughed. “Sweetheart, when you get a little older, let me know if you want a job. I think you’d hold your own around here.” He handed the phone to her, the long curly cord easily reaching from the wall behind the bar. “What’s the number?”
Neither of her parents answered. There was no point leaving a message since they couldn’t call her back. She couldn’t call Cotton’s parents. He didn’t like talking on the phone and she wouldn’t be able to explain. She wasn’t talking to Maggie, and no way would she call Sean for a ride.
There was only one other number she knew by heart.
Thirty-Five
Outside, the sun seemed unbearably bright. As she held her hand to shield her eyes, she had a panicky moment of feeling lost. But then Cotton was beside her. They sat on the curb to wait.
The red SUV pulled into the parking lot, driving too fast and taking the corner too short. Benny had always been a terrible driver. He was eternally reckless, completely impatient. He hopped out of the car and ran his eyes up, down, and around the situation.
“Thanks for coming,” Ria said, getting up. “My parents didn’t answer. I didn’t know who else to call.”
Cotton stood too, then moved between her and Benny.
“Nice to meet you,” said Benny, holding out his hand.
“We’ve met before.” Cotton scowled and tucked his hand behind him.
Benny stared at Cotton for a minute before he gave up and put away his hand. He opened the back door and gestured for Cotton to get in. Ria headed toward the passenger door.
“You’re not getting in my car wearing